Combination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storage and delivery system

ABSTRACT

A combination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storage and delivery system is disclosed. The system relates particularly to use in an office or residential or industrial building facility employing steam as a medium for heating the building or operating the industrial appliances. It is of prime importance from the standpoint of environmental preservation to avoid the dumping of hot condensates into the local sewer system; and for reasons of economy it is desired that the heat given up by the condensates when being cooled, be usefully employed. The system consists of a single tank having a cold water inlet into the lower level thereof. A combination condensate cooling and &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;primary&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; heater unit is disposed within a first shroud having fluid flow communication at one end with the lower level of the interior of the tank, and is provided with a water outlet connection at the other end thereof. A water-circulating conduit system including a pump is arranged to have its intake end connected into said outlet connection, and terminates at its delivery end in a distributing conduit traversing the upper level of the interior of the tank. A &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;booster&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; heater unit of the steam heated tube type is disposed within a shroud arranged in open fluid communication at one of its ends with the upper level of the interior of the tank, and has a heated water delivery conduit leading from the other end of the heater shroud. The &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;booster&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; heater unit is arranged to be supplied whenever necessary from a &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;live steam&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; source, while the &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;primary&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; heater unit utilizes the heat available from hot consensate discharges which require to be cooled before disposal, such as from the building-heating system and from the &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;booster&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; heater unit. A temperature sensor in the heated water delivery conduit controls the supply of live steam to the &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;booster&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; heater. A second temperature sensor located adjacent the outlet from the &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;primary&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; heater shroud selectively controls the input of hot condensate to the &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;primary&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; heater unit and/or diversion thereof away from said unit; such as may be required to furnish primary heating of the storage tank contents to the prescribed temperature; the &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;booster&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; heating unit being employed only on occasion and such as may be requisite to augment the primary heating operation.

United States Patent llll 3,633,658

Robert F. Kirschner Stoughton, Mass.;

John A. Clark, Jr., East Stroudsburg; Lemuel J. Morgan, Stroudsburg,both of 72] Inventors [54] COMBINATION HOT CONDENSATE COOLING AND WATERHEATING AND STORAGE AND DELIVERY SYSTEM 7 Claims, 1 Drawing Fig.

[52] US. Cl 165/39, 165/107 [51] Int. Cl. B60h 1 00 [50] Field of Search165/39, 40, 74, 75, 107,108,157

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,276,517 10/1966 Lowe165/39 3,351,130 11/1967 Lowe 165/39 3,364,986 1/1968 Morgan et al165/39 Primary Examiner-Charles Sukalo Attorney-Bean & Bean ABSTRACT: Acombination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storage anddelivery system is disclosed. The system relates particularly to use inan office or residential or industrial building facility employing steamas a Cooled Condensate medium for heating the building or operating theindustrial appliances. It is of prime importance from the standpoint ofenvironmental preservation to avoid the dumping of hot condensates intothe local sewer system; and for reasons of economy it is desired thatthe heat given up by the condensates when being cooled, be usefullyemployed. The system consists ofa single tank having a cold water inletinto the lower level thereof. A combination condensate cooling and"primary heater unit is disposed within a first shroud having lluid flowcommunication at one end with the lower level olthe interior of thetank, and is provided with a water outlet connection at the other endthereof. A water-circulating conduit system including a pump is arrangedto have its intake end connected into said outlet connection, andterminates at its delivery end in a distributing conduit traversing theupper level of the interior of the tank. A booster heater unit of thesteam heated tube type is disposed within a shroud arranged in openfluid communication at one of its ends with the upper level of theinterior of the tank, and has a heated water delivery conduit leadingfrom the other end of the heater shroud. The booster" heater unit isarranged to be supplied whenever necessary from a live steam source,while the primary" heater unit utilizes the heat available from hotconsensate discharges which require to be cooled before disposal, suchas from the building-heating system and from the "booster" heater unit.A temperature sensor in the heated water delivery conduit controls thesupply of live steam to the booster heater. A second temperature sensorlocated adjacent the outlet from the primary heater shroud selectivelycontrols the input of hot condensate to the primary heater unit and/ordiversion thereof away from said unit; such as may be required tofurnish primary heating of the storage tank contents to the prescribedtemperature; the booster" heating unit being employed only on occasionand such as may be requisite to augment the primary heating operation.

Conden sote Cler PATENTED JAlll l lBYZ Live Steam Inlet Booster HeaterHot Condensate Cool ed Condensate Primary l Heater 8 l Condensate l|Cooler Cold Water lnlet INVENTORS ROBERT F. KIRSCHNER JOHN A. CLARK JR.LEMUEL J. MORGAN A T TOP/JEVS COMBINATION HOT CONDENSATE COOLING ANDWATER HEATING AND STORAGE AND DELIVERY SYSTEM SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THEINVENTION The invention relates both to hot" condensate cooling forenvironmental beneficiation, and storage water heater systems; and moreparticularly to such systems as may reliably provide constantlyavailable supplies of water deliverable at prescribed temperatures.

A heating facility employing steam, such as for heating a building,generating power, or other industrial steam using purposes, necessarilyproduces a substantial quantity of hot condensate liquid. It isdesirable for various reasons to cool this condensate such as forexample before delivery to a sewer or returning it to the boiler plant.To economize the overall operation it is desirable that the heat of thecondensate be usefully employed; and it is a primary object of thepresent invention to provide an improved hot condensate cooling systemwhich utilizes the abstracted heat in novel manner so as to preheat thefeed water supply to the hot water heating system of the facility.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the above purposes asingle storage water tank system incorporating an improved condensatecooling and multistage heating and water transport arrangement fromwhich requisite quantities of water at a prescribed temperature may bedrawn off at will; and whereby substantial installation investment andoperational and maintenance economies may be realized compared toconventional systems for similar purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved water storageand heating device as aforesaid which automatically supplies water atthe desired temperatures while drawing upon a live steam heat supplysource only as needed to efficiently comply with the heated waterdemands.

Another object is to provide an improved heating system as aforesaidwhich will economically and automatically and constantly furnish wateruniformly heated to the prescribed temperatures, in the quantitiesrequired, regardless of sudden or erratic demands therefor.

Specifically, the invention contemplates an improved means and methodfor cooling hot condensate from any facility employing live steam (orother hot liquid or gas), including means for utilizing the heat derivedtherefrom in the heating and storing of hot water in a single, minimumsized accumulator tank; whereby water at a prescribed temperature isavailable to service withdrawal outlets to accommodate constant and/orintermittent and/or small or large quantity demands. The system may bereadily constructed in unit form; fully self-contained and requiringminimum floor space; and is therefore suitable for installation inout-of-way locations. It may be readily connected to existing pipingsystems, and normally draws upon the associated steam generating boilerin such limited manner as to avoid interference with constant steampressures at the other associated steam operated equipment. Hence, theboiler load is leveled off, thereby improving the boiler efficiency andlife span. The above stated and other advantages of the apparatus of theinvention will be apparent from the following description of anexemplary embodiment of the invention is a storage water heater unit asillustrated in the accompanying drawing.

THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a combinationcondensate cooling and water heating and storage apparatus oftheinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION As shown therein, the system may comprise a singletank as illustrated at which is of cylindrical form and supported tostand vertically; but it is to be understood that the tank 10 may inlieu thereof be provided of any other preferred shape or form and maystand in any other attitude and be supported in any manner, aspreferred. In any case, the tank will include provision for connectionto a cold water supply conduit such as shown at 12; the heated wateroutlet connection being indicated at 15. As shown herein by way ofexample, the system is constructed to include a pair of immersion"-typeheater units designated generally at I6, 18, respectively, which areprovided to extend substantially into the tank 10 at difierent levelstherein. Each comprises an elongated casing or shroud 20, which iswelded or otherwise afiixed to the wall of the tank 10, where it extendsinto the tank. In each case a tube sheet as indicated at 22 carrying theterminal ends of a bank of reverse bent tubes 24 is attached to theflanged outer end opening of the shroud 20. Baffle plates 26 aredisposed vertically, and alternately occupy upper and lower portions ofthe casing 20, and function simultaneously as vertical supports for thetubes 24 and as liquid passageway guide devices so as to cause the watercirculating through the casing 20 to pursue a zigzag path around theheat exchange tubes 24. The baffles 26 also control the velocity ofwater flow through the heater.

A manifold cover or bonnet as indicated at 28 is fixed to the outer faceof each tube sheet 22, and is provided with an internal partition rib29; the rib being dimensioned to bear firmly against the tube sheet whenthe unit is in assembly so as to thereby divide the bonnet into twosections, as shown in the drawing. Thus, it will be appreciated that thetubes 24 may be initially assembled upon the tube sheet 22 and that thissubassembly may then be slip-fitted into the shroud 20, and the tubesheet and bonnet assembly may then be firmly fixed in place by suitablebolts or the like to complete the mounting of the heat exchange unit inthe tank.

A live steam (or other hot fluid) supply conduit 30 is arranged tosupply the booster heating unit 18, under control of a valve 32 which inturn is controlled by a temperature sensor 33 located in the heatedwater delivery conduit 15. The hot condensate discharges from thebuilding-heating system or the like are received through a conduit asindicated at 34 and from the booster heater tube system through aconduit 34, to a three-way valve 35 which selectively operates either topass the hot condensate through the primary heater or to divert itthrough a conduit 38 to a bypass system 40. The valve 35 is undercontrol of a temperature sensor 42 which is responsive to thetemperature of water in the outer end of the primary heater shroud 20. Aconstant circulation conduit system having its intake in fluid flowcommunication with the interior of the outer end of the primary heatershroud is illustrated to comprise conduits 45, 46, 47, and terminates ina distributor conduit 48 disposed transversely of the interior of thetank 10 in the upper one-half portion thereof. A pump as illustrated at50 is disposed in the line of the conduit system and is arranged tooperate continuously so as to circulate the water in the tank asillustrated by the directional arrows.

By this it will be seen that the cooler layers of water in the tank willbe drawn through the lower shroud 20 in heat exchange relation with thecondensate heated tube system therein, and then delivered into the upperlevel of the tank 10. This provides a constantly operating combinationcondensate cooling and storage water heating and temperature levelingsystem the booster heater unit being operative only occasionally andwhenever it is required to boost the temperature of the water beingwithdrawn through the conduit 15 to the service outlets. Each suchoperation of the booster heater creates a fresh supply of hot condensatefor use by the primary heater; thereby effecting substantial economiesin live steam usage compared to prior systems. A primary benefit howeveris that the primary heater unit operates as a condensate cooler, wherebythe efiluent discharge from the system will be at reduced temperaturewith consequent benefit to the environment.

We claim:

1. A combination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storageand delivery system particularly adapted to an of fice or residential orindustrial building facility employing steam as a medium for heating thebuilding or operating the 3 industrial appliances thereof, or the like,said system comprising in combination:

a water tank having a cold water inlet into the lower level thereof;

a combination condensate cooling and primary water heater unit disposedin fluid flow communication at one end with the lower level of theinterior of said tank, and having a heated water outlet connection atthe other end thereof;

a water-circulating conduit system including a pump having its intakeend connected into said outlet connection and delivering to an outletdistributing conduit traversing the upper level of the interior of saidtank;

a booster heater unit of the hot fluid heated tube type arranged in openfluid communication at one of its ends with the upper level of theinterior of the tank, and having a heated water delivery conduit leadingfrom the other end thereof;

a live hot fluid source operatively connected with said booster heaterunit to energize the latter whenever necessary to deliver heated watertherefrom at a desired temperature;

said booster heater unit having a hot condensate discharge conveyingconduit delivering condensate discharges which require to be cooledbefore disposal;

a temperature sensor in the heated water delivery conduit controllingthe supply of live hot fluid to said booster heater;

a second temperature sensor located adjacent the outlet from the primaryheater selectively controlling the input of hot condensate to theprimary heater unit and/or diversion thereof away from said unit, suchas may be required to furnish primary heating of the storage tankcontents to the prescribed temperature without overheating;

whereby said hot condensates are cooled and at the same time furnishheat supplies to said primary heating unit, and whereby said boosterheating unit draws upon the live hot fluid supply only on occasion andsuch as may be requisite to adequately augment the primary heatingoperation.

2. A combination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storageand delivery system as set forth in claim 1 wherein;

said primary heating unit comprises a bundle of return bent hotcondensate conveying tubes enclosed within a shroud extending part-wayinto the interior of said tank from exteriorly thereof.

3. A combination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storageand delivery system as set forth in claim I wherein;

said booster heating unit comprises a bundle of return bent hotcondensate conveying tubes enclosed within a shroud extending part-wayinto the interior of said tank from exteriorly thereof.

4. A combination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storageand delivery system as set forth in claim 1 wherein;

said hot condensate conveying conduit includes a branch inlet receivinghot condensate discharges from sources other then said booster heaterunit.

5, A combination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storageand delivery system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said outlet distributing conduit comprises a horizontally disposedclosed end pipe having water outlet apertures at intervals therealong 6.A combination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storage anddelivery system-as set forth in claim 1.

wherein:

said pump is continuously operating.

7. A combination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storageand delivery system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hot fluidcomprises steam.

1. A combination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storage and delivery system particularly adapted to an office or residential or industrial building facility employing steam as a medium for heating the building or operating the industrial appliances thereof, or the like, said system comprising in combination: a water tank having a cold water inlet into the lower level thereof; a combination condensate cooling and primary water heater unit disposed in fluid flow communication at one end with the lower level of the interior of said tank, and having a heated water outlet connection at the other end thereof; a water-circulating conduit system including a pump having its intake end connected into said outlet connection and delivering to an outlet distributing conduit traversing the upper level of the interior of said tank; a booster heater unit of the hot fluid heated tube type arranged in open fluid communication at one of its ends with the upper level of the interior of the tank, and having a heated water delivery conduit leading from the other end thereof; a live hot fluid source operatively connected with said booster heater unit to energize the latter whenever necessary to deliver heated water therefrom at a desired temperature; said booster heater unit having a hot condensate discharge conveying conduit delivering condensate discharges which require to be cooled before disposal; a temperature sensor in the heated water delivery conduit controlling the supply of live hot fluid to said booster heater; a second temperature sensor located adjacent the outlet from the primary heater selectively controlling the input of hot condensate to the primary heater unit and/or diversion thereof away from said unit, such as may be required to furnish primary heating of the storage tank contents to the prescribed temperature without overheating; whereby said hot condensates are cooled and at the same time furnish heat supplies to said primary heating unit, and whereby said booster heating unit draws upon the live hot fluid supply only on occasion and such as may be requisite to adequately augment the primary heating operation.
 2. A combination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storage and delivery system as set forth in claim 1 wherein; said primary heating unit comprises a bundle of return bent hot condensate conveying tubes enclosed within a shroud extending part-way into the interior of said tank from exteriorly thereof.
 3. A combination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storage and delivery system as set forth in claim 1 wherein; said booster heating unit comprises a bundle of return bent hot condensate conveying tubes enclosed within a shroud extending part-way into the interior of said tank from exteriorly thereof.
 4. A combination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storage and delivery system as set forth in claim 1 wherein; said hot condensate conveying conduit includes a branch inlet receiving hot condensate discharges from sources other then said booster heater unit.
 5. A combination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storage and delivery system as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said outlet distributing conduit comprises a horizontally disposed closed end pipe having water outlet apertures at intervals therealong.
 6. A combination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storage and delivery system as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said pump is continuously operating.
 7. A combination hot condensate cooling and water heating and storage and delivery system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hot fluid comprises steam. 